American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 41, 1289-1298, Copyright © 1985 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

The absorption of cholesterol and the sterol balance in the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico fed cholesterol-free and high cholesterol diets

MP McMurry, WE Connor, DS Lin, MT Cerqueira and SL Connor

The Tarahumara Indians of Mexico are habituated to a very low cholesterol, low fat diet and have lifelong low plasma cholesterol concentrations. To study cholesterol metabolism in these unusual people, 8 Tarahumara men were fed sequentially a cholesterol-free diet and then a diet containing 900 mg cholesterol under controlled conditions. The intestinal absorption of cholesterol, fecal steroid excretion and sterol balance were determined. During the high cholesterol diet period, the plasma cholesterol level increased from 113 +/- 8 mg/dl to 147 +/- 11 mg/dl (means +/- SD). Cholesterol biosynthesis decreased from 14.0 +/- 0.7 to 7.1 +/- 1.0 mg/kg/day (means +/- SE). The intestinal absorption of cholesterol was 27.7 +/- 6.7% (means +/- SE) during both dietary periods. Compared to other cultures, Tarahumaras had a reduced ability to absorb dietary cholesterol and higher total sterol turnover primarily because of an increased bile acid output. The total sterol disposition over three weeks of the high cholesterol diet accounted for all the absorbed dietary cholesterol.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Meaney, G. Ceballos, J. Asbun, G. Solache, E. Mendoza, A. Vela, and E. Meaney The Vytorin on Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Overall Arterial Rigidity (VYCTOR) Study J. Clin. Pharmacol., July 1, 2009; 49(7): 838 - 847. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. S. Getz and C. A. Reardon Nutrition and Cardiovascular Disease Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., December 1, 2007; 27(12): 2499 - 2506. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. T. Sane, D. Sinnett, E. Delvin, M. Bendayan, V. Marcil, D. Menard, J.-F. Beaulieu, and E. Levy Localization and role of NPC1L1 in cholesterol absorption in human intestine J. Lipid Res., October 1, 2006; 47(10): 2112 - 2120. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. E. Strandberg, R. S. Tilvis, K. H. Pitkala, and T. A. Miettinen Cholesterol and Glucose Metabolism and Recurrent Cardiovascular Events Among the Elderly: A Prospective Study J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., August 15, 2006; 48(4): 708 - 714. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Levy, D. Menard, I. Suc, E. Delvin, V. Marcil, L. Brissette, L. Thibault, and M. Bendayan Ontogeny, immunolocalisation, distribution and function of SR-BI in the human intestine J. Cell Sci., January 15, 2004; 117(2): 327 - 337. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. J. Repa, J. M. Dietschy, and S. D. Turley Inhibition of cholesterol absorption by SCH 58053 in the mouse is not mediated via changes in the expression of mRNA for ABCA1, ABCG5, or ABCG8 in the enterocyte J. Lipid Res., November 1, 2002; 43(11): 1864 - 1874. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Xie, L. A. Woollett, S. D. Turley, and J. M. Dietschy Fatty acids differentially regulate hepatic cholesteryl ester formation and incorporation into lipoproteins in the liver of the mouse J. Lipid Res., September 1, 2002; 43(9): 1508 - 1519. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. S Lin and W. E Connor Fecal steroids of the coprolite of a Greenland Eskimo mummy, AD 1475: a clue to dietary sterol intake Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, July 1, 2001; 74(1): 44 - 49. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. D. Steiner, L. M. Linck, D. P. Flavell, D. S. Lin, and W. E. Connor Sterol balance in the Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome: reduction in whole body cholesterol synthesis and normal bile acid production J. Lipid Res., September 1, 2000; 41(9): 1437 - 1447. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				C. D. Jolley, J. M. Dietschy, and S. D. Turley Genetic differences in cholesterol absorption in 129/Sv and C57BL/6 mice: effect on cholesterol responsiveness Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, May 1, 1999; 276(5): G1117 - G1124. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. S. Bosner, L. G. Lange, W. F. Stenson, and R. E. Ostlund , Jr. Percent cholesterol absorption in normal women and men quantified with dual stable isotopic tracers and negative ion mass spectrometry J. Lipid Res., February 1, 1999; 40(2): 302 - 308. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				C. D. Jolley, L. A. Woollett, S. D. Turley, and J. M. Dietschy Centripetal cholesterol flux to the liver is dictated by events in the peripheral organs and not by the plasma high density lipoprotein or apolipoprotein A-I concentration J. Lipid Res., November 1, 1998; 39(11): 2143 - 2149. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				P. J.H. Jones, A. S. Pappu, L. Hatcher, Z.-C. Li, D. R. Illingworth, and W. E. Connor Dietary Cholesterol Feeding Suppresses Human Cholesterol Synthesis Measured by Deuterium Incorporation and Urinary Mevalonic Acid Levels Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., October 1, 1996; 16(10): 1222 - 1228. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				C. M. Beard, R. J. Barnard, D. C. Robbins, J. M. Ordovas, and E. J. Schaefer Effects of Diet and Exercise on Qualitative and Quantitative Measures of LDL and Its Susceptibility to Oxidation Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., February 1, 1996; 16(2): 201 - 207. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				J. D. Horton, J. A. Cuthbert, and D. K. Spady Regulation of Hepatic 7alpha-Hydroxylase Expression and Response to Dietary Cholesterol in the Rat and Hamster J. Biol. Chem., March 10, 1995; 270(10): 5381 - 5387. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M. Dietschy and S. D. Turley Thematic review series: Brain Lipids. Cholesterol metabolism in the central nervous system during early development and in the mature animal J. Lipid Res., August 1, 2004; 45(8): 1375 - 1397. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]